If These Shirts Could Talk: The Tantalizing Tales Behind Used Clothes
Jockeying for Position: How Boxers and Briefs Got Into Men's Pants
Gloriously Grotesque 19th-Century Pipes
In the Hot Seat: Is Your Antique Windsor a Fake?
Love at First Kite: How Pizza and Pente Led to One Oklahoman's High-Flying Obsession
Blood, Sweat, and Steel: My Afternoon with the Ace of Swords
'The Great Gatsby' Still Gets Flappers Wrong
Say Ahhh: An Oral Surgeon's Quest to Reimagine the Garage-Band Guitar
Forget TV Pickers, Meet the Real Mavericks of the Antiques World
Coveting The Craziest Cat-People Collectibles
Panerai began making watches in Florence, Italy back in 1860, but it wasn’t until the 1930s that the firm produced its first wristwatch. By then its roots in Florence were as deep as those in Switzerland, where Panerai watches were produced.
The breakthrough for the company was an order for diving watches from the Italian Navy, for whom Panerai had been creating instruments of various types since the turn of the century. With a war coming on, the navy was keen to outfit its elite corps of frogmen with wristwatches.
Featuring a Rolex movement, the limited-edition Panerai Radiomir (only 300 were made) was designed for use by commandos and torpedo riders—frogmen who rode a slow-moving torpedo toward a target before attaching a timed mine to the underside of a ship and then riding away. The watches had a cushion-shaped case, a screw-down crown to keep water out of the movement, and oiled-leather straps that were long enough to be worn on the outside of a diving suit. Given their limited supply and the tough conditions they were subjected to, these watches are very highly prized by collectors today...
The watch took its name, Radiomir, from the luminous material that Panerai first developed in 1910. Made of zinc sulphide and radium bromide, Radiomir allowed the numbers and hands on a watch to be read in dark conditions. It was replaced in 1949 by Luminor, which glows thanks to the presence of tritium, a less-dangerous compound than radium bromide.
Throughout the 1950s and ’60s, Panerai continued to produce wristwatches for the Italian Navy in regular and destro (left-handed) versions. Some watches from this period were known as Trittico watches, thanks to their trio of features, which included a depth gauge.
Panerai also made Kampfschwimmer watches, some with so-called California dials (numbers on the bottom, Roman numerals on the top), for Germany’s only postwar commando unit. And in 1956, Panerai created a large-face Radiomir watch for the Egyptian Navy.
Panerai might have remained a military diving watch in the minds of the public had it not been for Sylvester Stallone, who, in 1995, purchased a Luminor while on location in Italy. Sales of the watches jumped after its debut in Stallone’s “Daylight,” and Sly even had some watches—dubbed Slytech—made with his signature engraved on the back. These he gave as gifts to friends, including fellow action hero Arnold Schwarzenegger.
by 
by 
Interviews & Articles
Don Levison on Cartier Tanks, Rolex Oysters, and Hamilton Venturas
I got interested in pocket watches from working on mechanical things. I had an old car, and working on it gave me immediate satisf… [more]
Jonathan Snellenburg Ticks off the History of Watches and Clocks
I grew up outside of Philadelphia. I didn’t have any particular interest in clocks or watches as a kid; that came after I started … [more]
Elgins, Patek Philippes, and Other Timeless Wristwatches
I started with pocket watches as a child, watching old movies on television, watching the cowboys occasionally pull out an old poc… [more]
Best of the Web (“Hall of Fame”)
National Watch and Clock Museum
This virtual museum, created by the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors, lets you stroll through tim… [read review or visit site]
Clubs & Associations: Wristwatches
Discussion Forums: Wristwatches
Other Great Reference Sites: Wristwatches
Top eBay Auctions
Chronoswiss 18k White Gold Tourbillon. 72 Hour Double-barrel Power Reserve 
Panerai Ferrari Fer15 Perpetual Calendar Automatic. Special Limited Edition 
Chronoswiss 18k White Gold Perpetual Calendar Moonphase Automatic. Full Size. 
Panerai 193 Submersible Depth Gauge Watch 47mm
Men's Panerai Pam 217 Op 6645 Marina Militare 47mm Manual Wind Limited Watch
Panerai Ferrari Fer00012 8 Days Power Reserve Gmt. New. In-house Movement
Panerai Radiomir Black Seal Ceramic Pam 292 M Series
Officine Panerai Luminor Submersible 1950 1000m 44mm Steel Pam 243 J Series
Panerai Luminor Marina Power Reserve Pam 126. Only One On Ebay! Boxes / Papers
Panerai Pam 114 Luminor Base - Beautiful! - No Reserve! - Wow!!
Titanium Panerai Pam 93 E Luminor Power Reserve
40mm Authentic Panerai Luminor Marina Swiss Watch Pam 48 Stainless Steel Mib
Panerai Pam 183 Radiomir Black Seal
Panerai Pam 380 Radiomir Black Seal Logo 45mm Stainless Steel Pam380 *unworn*
Radiomir Panerai "1938" Pam 232 Limited Edition 47mm Gold Hands Steel Case $1nr!
Panerai Luminor Marina Tobacco Titanium Pam00061 Manual Brown Leather Strap
Panerai Radiomir Black Seal Watch ***free Ship***
Panerai Ss Luminor Marina Automatic Mens Watch
Panerai Ferrari Fer00012 8 Days Power Reserve Gmt. New. In-house Movement
Panerai Regatta Luminor Gmt Black Dial Watch
Panerai Radiomir Black Seal Ceramic Firenze 1860 Leather Watch 
Panerai The Automatic Mechanical Pam104 Men Watch
Panerai Ferrari Scuderia Fer00002 Automatic With Date 45mm Stainless Steel Watch
Genuine Panerai Dealer Maiale Display In Excellent Condition
Beautiful Three Dimensional Laser Engraved Crystal Paperweight W/ Xa Mas Maiale
Panerai Lap Top Bag 
Panerai Strap
Panerai Ferrari Granturismo Fer 002 45mm Watch
Panerai Embroidered 'classic Yachts Challenge' White Polo Shirt Mens M
Genuine Metal Panerai Dealer Display Sign - Excellent Condition
Panerai Ferrari Model 0008
Pig Submarine Display For Panerai Collector By Straps Monster Buy 1 Get 1 Free**
Display Model Of Maiale Sub Used By Ww2 Italian Navy Frogmen
Genuine Pre-v Panerai Dealer Display Of Battleship Perfect Cond
1 Italy Hand Made Gpf Mod Dep Brass Sew In Buckles For Panerai 24 Or 26 Mm
::: 1 Italy Hand Made Knife Edge Brass (sew In)buckles For Panerai 24 Or 26 Mm
Panerai Vinyl Decal Sticker Full Set With 3 Pcs (set A)
Recent News: Panerai Watches
Source: Google News
Life & Style: Unisex Fashion Trend Endures for Everyone
Jakarta Globe, May 18thWomen are also veering towards functional masculine wristwatches with big faces like Panerai, instead of the traditional delicate feminine watches, which are almost impossible to read. Ironically, they seem more inclined toward what James Bond would...Read more
Fine Italian Watches
Barron's, May 18thIn December, a rare stainless-steel cushion-shaped diver's wristwatch made circa 1954 by Panerai for the Egyptian navy was sold at a Christie's auction in New York for a record $326,500. The Egiziano Piccolo had a presale estimate of $80,000 to $120...Read more
Malls, retailers thrive as industry trade show prepares to descend on Las Vegas
Las Vegas Review-Journal, May 17thThe 21-year-old center has had 10 new retailers open recently, including first-to-market brands Alfred Dunhill, Hublot, Breitling, Panerai, L.K. Bennett, Sandro and Sergio Rossi. Six more new tenants are coming soon including Van Cleef & Arpels, M...Read more
Voiles d'Antibes Trophée Panerai Port Vauban près de Nice
Nice Rendez-Vous, May 17thDepuis 1996 "Les Voiles d'Antibes", grande célébration du yachting organisée chaque année autour de la première semaine de juin, marquent l'ouverture du circuit méditerranéen pour les Yachts de Tradition et les Classes Métriques ainsi que la première...Read more
Richemont Chairman to Take a Break
Wall Street Journal, May 15thUnder Mr. Rupert, the company bought high-end watch brands Vacheron Constantin and Officine Panerai in the 1990s. Mr. Rupert's sabbatical prompted praise from his biggest rival, Nick Hayek, CEO of Swatch Group AG. Mr. Hayek called Mr. Rupert "a real...Read more
The Pocket Pam
Livemint, April 25thPanerai's new piece, the Pocket Watch Tourbillon GMT Ceramica 59 mm combines a mouthful of a name with a fantastic movement, minimal and utterly contemporary Panerai design. And there are homages to the Panerai wristwatches everywhere, lest we...Read more
Hublot Creates Ferrari Engine Block For The Wrist
Forbes, April 24thPast partners like Omega and Girard-Perregaux tended to simply place the Ferrari logo on the dial of existing models, while Panerai created a whole new range. In my opinion, the marriage of two exceedingly well-known Italian brands in Panerai and...Read more
Panerai launches Luminor Marina 1950 3 Days Automatic
Retail Jeweller, April 24thOfficine Panerai has released the Luminor Marina 1950 3 Days Automatic – the first from the watch brand to introduce a combination of the Luminor 1950 case, 42 mm diameter and a white dial. The movement is the automatic P.9000 calibre, with a power...Read more